The present invention relates to an bumping prevention system which is used, for instance, in the field of traffic signal control and prevents bumping between a vehicle running in a non-priority road and a vehicle running in a priority road at a crossing between the two roads by transacting signals with on-road infrastructure in a service area between fixed point information detection support facility for service-in installed at a point by a specified distance away from the crossing on the non-priority road and a fixed point information detection support facility for service-out installed at a point near the crossing.
Conventionally, in order to prevent bumping at a crossing between a priority road and a non-priority road as described above, a driver just about to enter from a non-priority road into a priority road once stops in front of the crossing, checks behaviors of vehicles running on the priority road with a mirror installed at the crossing, and then restarts after the safety is confirmed.
Therefore, it is impossible to completely prevent bumping due to a driver""s careless mistake or the driver""s mistake in determination of the situation, and occurrence of traffic accidents between a vehicle running on a priority road and that running on a non-priority road has not completely been suppressed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an expected bumping prevention system which can solve the problems in the conventional technology as described above and prevent bumping between vehicles by supporting safe access of a vehicle running on a non-priority road to a crossing between the non-priority road and a priority road, and/or supporting restart of a vehicle at a stop in front of the crossing.
To achieve the object described above, the bumping prevention system according to the present invention is a system for preventing bumping between a vehicle running on a non-priority road and a vehicle running on a priority road at a crossing between the two roads by transacting signals with on-road infrastructure in a service area between a fixed point information detection support facility for service-in installed at a point away by a specified distance from the crossing on the non-priority road and a fixed point information detection support facility for service-out installed at a position near the crossing, and when a vehicle passes by the fixed point detection support facility for service-in and enters the service area, the vehicle recognizes availability of providing information, alarms, and control for prevention of expected bumping at a crossing upon reception of a signal indicating entry into a service area from the support facilities, and starts computing of a position of the current by recognizing a distance between the current running position of the vehicle and a priority road. When the vehicle receives information concerning vehicles on a priority road from the on-road infrastructure and recognized that a vehicle just about to enter the crossing is present on the priority road, the system provides information concerning the crossing as well as the vehicle just about to enter the crossing at a point away by a distance enough to decelerate and stop the vehicle by the crossing, and further when it is determined that there is the possibility of collision between the vehicle running on the non-priority road and the vehicle running on the priority road and just about to enter the crossing, the system gives an alarm indicating the possibility of bumping to a driver of the vehicle running on the non-priority road. Further when it is expected that there is the possibility of bumping between the vehicle and another vehicle running on the priority road and entering the crossing, the system continuously provides controls for emergently decelerating or stopping the vehicle in front of the crossing.
In the system described above, it is preferable to provide information with a time allowance sufficient for a vehicle""s driver to understand contents of the information and also required for braking the vehicle in an emergency, to give an alarm to the driver with a time allowance sufficient for the vehicle""s driver to respond to the driver and also enough for the driver to brake the vehicle, and also to provide automatic controls for decelerating or stopping the vehicle taking into account a delay time in this control system and a rising time for braking.
Further to achieve the object described above, the bumping prevention system according to the present invention is a system for preventing bumping between a vehicle running on a non-priority road and a vehicle running on a priority road at a crossing between the two roads by transacting signals with on-road infrastructure in a service area between a fixed point information detection support facility for service-in installed at a point away by a specified distance from the crossing on the non-priority road and a fixed point information detection support facility for service-out installed at a position near the crossing, and when a vehicle passes by the fixed point information detection facility for service-in and enters the service area, the vehicle receives a signal indicating start of the service area from the support facility and recognizes the availability of information provision service for preventing expected bumping after restart. When the vehicle stops in front of the crossing, the vehicle obtains information concerning vehicles on a priority road from the on-road infrastructure and if the vehicle recognizes presence of a pedestrian or a vehicle just about to enter the crossing on a priority road, information indicating presence of the pedestrian or vehicle is given to the driver.
Further to achieve the object described above, the bumping prevention system according to the present invention is a system for preventing bumping between a vehicle running on a non-priority road and a vehicle running on a priority road at a crossing between the two roads by transacting signals with on-road infrastructure in a service area between a fixed point information detection support facility for service-in installed at a point away by a specified distance from the crossing on the non-priority road and a fixed point information detection support facility for service-out installed at a position near the crossing, and when a vehicle passes by a fixed point information detection support facility for service-in and enters a service area, the vehicle recognizes availability of the service for providing information, alarms, and controls for prevention of bumping when the vehicle accesses a crossing or availability of the information provision service for prevention of expected bumping after the vehicle once stops in front of the crossing and then restarts upon reception of a signal indicating start of the service area from the support facilities, and starts computing a position of the vehicle by grasping the distance from the running position of the vehicle up to the priority road. When the vehicle obtains information concerning vehicles on the priority road from the on-road infrastructure and recognizes that a vehicle just about to enter the crossing is present on the priority road, the system provides information concerning the crossing as well as presence of the vehicle just entering the crossing on the priority road to the driver at a point where the driver can decelerate and stop the vehicle in front of the crossing. Further when it is determined that there is the possibility of bumping with the vehicle just entering the crossing, this system gives an alarm indicating the possibility of bumping to the driver at a point where the driver can brake and stop the vehicle in an emergency in front of the crossing. Still further when it is determined that there is the possibility of bumping with another vehicle subsequently entering the crossing, the system continuously provides controls for support in braking in a range from a point where the driver can brake and stop the vehicle in front of the crossing up to a point just in front of the crossing. When the vehicle stops the vehicle once in front of the crossing, the system obtained information concerning vehicles on the priority road and gives to the driver information concerning the vehicle, if any.
In the system described above, it is preferable to provide information with a time allowance sufficient for a vehicle""s driver to understand contents of the information and also required for braking the vehicle in an emergency, to give an alarm to the driver with a time allowance sufficient for the vehicle""s driver to respond to the alarm and also enough for the driver to brake the vehicle, and also to provide automatic controls for decelerating or stopping the vehicle taking into account a delay time in this control system and a rising time for braking.
With the configuration as described above, it is possible to prevent bumping between vehicles by supporting safe access of a vehicle running on a non-priority road to a crossing between the non-priority road and a priority road, and/or supporting restart of the vehicle after the vehicle stops once in front of the crossing. Therefore it is possible to substantially reduce the possibility of bumping between a vehicle running on a priority road and that running on a non-priority road at a crossing between the two roads, thus safety at the crossing being substantially improved.